save data in custom properties in a stack- or a text file?

[J. Landman Gay]

Josh Mellicker wrote:
> I know stacks are a nice way to save a lot of data because it can be 
> organized by custom property and custom property set.
> 
> But what about a simple list of data consisting of name, URL, and a 
> couple other fields, that needs to be downloaded from a server- would 
> you save the data in:
> 
> A. a stack in custom properties?
> 
> B. Or a text file?

I like them both for different purposes. One of my apps needs a lot of 
little files on the server, and the client has to maintain them. They 
aren't critical files; it's stuff like a current table of contents, 
article summaries, that sort of thing. For this, text files are great. 
They are easy for him to edit and very fast for the app to read over the 
net. So I'd say if someone else has to maintain the files, go for text 
if you can. If you store that kind of info in a stack, you have to write 
tools for the person who maintains it.

For data my app maintains, either stacks or text files work fine. But 
stacks can provide an extra layer of protection if you need some 
security. You can put info in custom properties and password-protect the 
stack, which makes the properties unreadable and encrypted. Sometimes I 
also .gz the stack on the server (leaving off the extension) to make it 
a little harder to recognize it as a stack. It's not so secure that I'd 
store credit card info there, but it obscures things pretty well.

So both ways work, depending on what you need to do.

-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com